1. Technical Field
The subject invention relates to a cleaning assembly. More particularly, the subject invention relates to a cleaning assembly for cleaning large articles using high pressure steam.
2. Description of Related Art
The popularity of prepared, unpackaged foods has increased to the point where large food-related establishments, such as grocery stores and supermarkets, have offered soup and salad bars to its customers. These establishments, however, typically, do not have sufficient facilities to sanitize the containers and the food pallets holding the containers in accordance with public health codes. Even if these establishments do have the facilities to sanitize the food pallets, provisions in labor contracts often prevent workers from transporting such heavy articles across a store floor.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,990,571 and 4,281,675 issued to Kitterman et al and Pure, respectively, disclose tray washing machines which are permanent fixtures within a building. These systems both use water as a principal cleaning agent. Although water is very effective and accessible, it requires drainage facilities. Therefore, the washing assembly has to be affixed to a certain area near a drain or the washing assembly must have used water storage capabilities. The former option is not satisfactory because the weight of the food pallet is too great to transport between the washing assembly and the soup/salad bar. The latter option is undesirable because the weight of the used water is inhibiting when moving the washing assembly to a drain.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,319, issued to Poitevin on Feb. 28, 1989, discloses a portable washing assembly for cleaning grocery carts. Again, this assembly is deficient in that it uses water which must be subsequently drained. Also, the water distribution system is lacking because the pressure at which the water is sprayed is so low that brushes and cleaning solutions are required to aid waterblasting when cleaning the grocery carts.